Owen Hiltz and Chris Boushy each finished with three goals and an assist as the Toronto Rock defeated the Halifax Thunderbirds 12-7 at Scotiabank Centre to win the National Lacrosse League championship. Toronto’s first title since 2011 came with Nick Rose maki
Owen Hiltz and Chris Boushy took over when the Toronto Rock needed them most, each posting three goals and an assist as the Rock closed out the National Lacrosse League championship with a 12-7 win over the Halifax Thunderbirds on Sunday at Scotiabank Centre.
Toronto hadn’t won the title since 2011. when they beat the Washington Stealth 8-7. but they delivered with a performance built on depth as Mark Matthews added a goal and three assists.. Nick Rose turned aside 34 shots in goal. helping Toronto stay in front after moving to an 8-6 halftime lead and entering the final quarter up 9-7.
The Rock’s scoring didn’t stop with their leaders.. Sam English, Hugh Kelleher, Lucas Hugal, C.J.. Kirst and Latrell Harris also found the net as Toronto finished the game at 12-7 to claim its seventh championship overall.. The road to this moment included a tough opening swing in the best-of-three series. with Toronto winning Friday’s opener 13-11.
Halifax stayed dangerous through its top end. with Clarke Petterson leading the Thunderbirds by matching three goals and adding an assist.. Mike Robinson, Randy Staats, Cody Jamieson and Brendan Bomberry scored singles, but the Rock’s goaltending held firm.. Netminder Warren Hill made 40 saves in the losing effort.
The pattern in the title run is hard to miss: Toronto won the series opener 13-11 on Friday. carried a narrow 8-6 advantage into halftime Sunday. then stretched the lead to 9-7 before sealing the championship with a 12-7 final score—while Halifax’s scoring relied on Petterson’s three-goal output and individual strikes from the rest of the group.
Sam English’s standout postseason was recognized after the final whistle, with him named playoff MVP.
Toronto Rock Halifax Thunderbirds NLL Cup National Lacrosse League Owen Hiltz Chris Boushy Nick Rose Warren Hill Sam English Mark Matthews Sam English playoff MVP